Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

In the same vein as the Grow It Yourself! series, the six titles in the Trash to Treasure lineup make arts and crafts an easy, green practice for early elementary students and also challenge their reading skills.

Books are broken up into their respective reuse material: cardboard, jars and pots, buttons and beads, old clothes, paper, and plastic. Each work generally has the same format: description of the material, what happens once it’s disposed of (landfill), how to recycle and repurpose it through a pictorial example of craft ideas, and at least 1 how-to project guide. Included activities can be a bit more commonly known (snow globe from a jar), while others are so creative that even I want to do them: a flower bouquet made of buttons or a ceramic pot wind chime.

I know if I was back in kindergarten I would have absolutely loved to dive into these works with an adult by my side and give them a go. Although there is really only one project with instructions contained within each title, author Daniel Nunn includes website links to the other craft projects. Most adults can figure out what materials are needed and how to assemble them on their own, but who doesn’t love getting more crafty ideas from the net, especially when Nunn recommends PBS Kids and Artists Helping Children?

Ages 3-8.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

Capstone now has a new wonderful imprint, Heinemann-Raintree, that’s solely dedicated to publishing curriculum-driven nonfiction “that encourages inquiry and satisfies curiosity” for students in grades PreK-8. In their “Grow It Yourself!” series, children are challenged to cultivate something with a tangible result – catnip for a cat toy, tomatoes for a tomato and cheese (who says it can’t be Daiya, Follow Your Heart or even slices of Tofutti?) sandwich, pumpkins for soup, plants for a butterfly farm (why they didn’t title it a garden is beyond my comprehension!), and more.

Generally these titles are pretty veg-friendly with a few minor tweaks; e.g. – soy yogurt in place of the “natural yogurt” and agave vs. the honey called for in the Grow Your Own Smoothie text.

The text is of course age appropriate and the photography colorful and inviting. A glossary in each book ensures that young ones are expanding their vocabulary. All in all, these are a great find. I particularly enjoyed Grow Your Own Catnip Toy, but then again who couldn’t resist a book with cute kitties being silly? It made me want to plow my yard and get my hands dirty, just like the kids in the book. Good job, author John Malam, for showing kids they don’t need a so-called green thumb to just follow basic instructions and realize the fruits of their labor.

Ages 6-8.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

Who doesn’t love a John Muir story? Every year that I visit the always impressive and stupefying Yosemite, I make it a point to attend one of the monologues put on by Lee Stetson. I don’t want to call him an impersonator per se; he’s far too talented for that, but I suppose actor might be appropriate. He’s a dead ringer for Muir and talks in this quaint, pioneer-like tone, something that harkens images of Muir’s treks in the rugged wilderness cloaked in his solitude. I highly recommend getting a ticket yourself for his show, if you’re ever out this way. If not, you’ll enjoy the tale of Stickeen, one that was certainly new to me, but apparently was Muir’s favorite to tell.

Donnell Rubey serves as an interpreter of sorts in presenting Muir’s languid, verbose and antiquated recounting of the tale to children, but she stays true to Muir’s style and knack for storytelling. The plot is a simple, but highly dramatic one. Stickeen was a little dog (named after an Indian tribe) lent to Muir for one his travels in the glacier-filled world of Alaska. One particular journey that took the better part of a day led them over crevasses, deep canyon-like cavities in the glaciers (let’s just say you don’t want to fall down into one of the bottomless-looking pits). While most were passable there was one that proved quite treacherous, one that even stopped eager beaver Stickeen from attempting to cross. It was too late to turn back, but Muir and Stickeen were uncertain if they would even be able to cross safely.  How did they do? You’ll have to read to find out.

This book is an absolute gem. Christopher Canyon’s illustrations are simply lifelike. I could just see myself reach through the book to touch Muir’s coarse, wiry, frigid beard or feel the snowflakes hitting my face (I sure am glad to live in Southern California !) as I watch the mountains giants in the background. Equally effective in this book is the presentation of a unique, temporary friendship between a man and a dog, a friendship that dramatically changed in the face of adversity. The short-lived nature of their friendship will have children questioning what is in the best interest of our companion animals, a question they should always entertain.

Ages 6+.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

A few weeks ago I got my hands on one of those 100-ways-to-help-earth type books. I usually just scan them to see if farm animals and dietary choices are mentioned at all. All too often these books pull an Al Gore and ignore the biggest way to make a positive impact (eating veg, of course). But as I was trying to identify the author, which actually required digging into the book, I discovered that lo and behold it was the work of Deborah Underwood, our beloved author of Granny Gomez and Jigsaw!

Little did I know how accomplished Deborah is; the woman has co-written a series of books with Whoopi Goldberg and published more than 28 nonfiction titles, and many more early chapter readers and picture books. Now, I fully realize that this is supposed to be a review of a book and not a glowing profile piece on Deborah. On to the book….

101 Ways to Save the Planet does set itself apart from others of a similar title and nature. For one, there are colorful photos aplenty helping to illustrate the giant to-do list (cute animals, trendy teens). Deborah Underwood doesn’t wait very long to introduce the eating green concept (making it to page 8 out of 56 ain’t bad) and addressing factory farming. She takes the Humane Society of the United States approach in encouraging readers to eat lower on the food chain (plants vs. animals) and, if they plan to eat animal products, to purchase from small, humane farms. But you’ll see her value system at work throughout the book. In the school section, she recommends serving veggie dogs instead of meat at events. Gotta love Deborah! She keeps the ideas mentioned within modern and applicable on a daily basis.

A great choice if you’re looking for more than 100 ways to inspire kids to make a difference.

Ages 9+.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

Ack! Why does something so sweet and well-intentioned have to be such a letdown? Suryia and Roscoe, in theory, is a perfect tale for preschoolers and early elementary students about a unique friendship between an orangutan and a rescued dog who live at the T.I.G.E.R.S. “Preservation Station” in South Carolina. The book and the “zoo” it represents is also the perfect example of the fine line conservation groups walk in terms of “educating” vs. “entertaining” potential donors, children and the public at large. Unfortunately, T.I.G.E.R.S. crosses that line, and I wouldn’t encourage anyone to purchase this book and continue its exploitative practices.

The author “Doc” Bhagavan Antle celebrates the fact that he’s a trainer (you can even see in their promo video the implementation of the cruel bull-hook with their elephant), and that his animals have starred in over 500 films, television shows, commercials and advertisements worldwide. That doesn’t sound like conservation efforts to me; just a way to make a buck. And more than anyone, I fully understand the need for nonprofits to start thinking in business terms, especially in this economic downturn, but certainly not if it jeopardizes the welfare of the animals and gives people a misguided, commoditized view of wildlife. At its Preservation Stations, guests can take photos with the wild animals, pet them and generally treat them like they would a cat or dog, which they are far from.

And unlike some of the other genuine children’s tales addressing different species bonding (Owen & Mzee, Tarra & Bella), the photographs in this book are entirely staged, unauthentic and just manipulative…in my humble opinion.

I don’t recommend this book for anyone.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

Wishbone Farm is a popular place come fall. Pumpkins abound in October. Apples are ripe for the picking. And in November, the public is on the hunt for the perfect turkey. But it seems that only Runt, the smallest turkey of his four-member family understands what that means. His brother Turk, agile and athletic, is highly sought after. Ballet instructor Madame Waddelle remarks, “Look at zee size of zose drumsticks…Zat is a beautiful bird!” His mother beams and father puffs with pride, acting on the assumption that Turk is being recruited for his graceful twirls and somersaults. Smart, reality-checked Runt knows better. He throws himself on the barnyard floor, flaps, flops, hisses, sputters, and runs Ms. Waddelle (who now thinks that the birds are crazed) off the premise. Several other humorous anecdotes that scare off would be turkey buyers are scattered throughout the text and reinforce the idea that turkeys do not want to be dinner.

Spared this Thanksgiving, Runt warns, “Come December, folks begin planning their holiday dinners.” He has a Grade A plan in store, however, and this time his family not only listens, but are in on the arrangement. Think snowmen disguises. Overall, this is a cute, funny, pro-veggie holiday tale.

Find story-inspired activities and one veggie recipe on author Lisa Wheeler’s website.

Ages 4-8.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

Most of us apply the “reduce, reuse and recycle” mantra in many ways during the day. As veggies we reduce our ecological footprint with our choice to eat lower on the food chain (go, plants!). Likely we’ve invested in canvas bags that we can reuse time and again when buying aforementioned plants. And of course we recycle: everything from batteries to beer bottles. But what’s better or lacking in this mantra is repurposing, something my friend Alex of Stay Vocal has imbued in his vegan company’s motto and merchandise. Others refer to it as upcycling. Call it what you will, but the creative duo Jen Jones and Carol Sirrine have applied it to the arts and crafts world with their handy dandy how-to manual geared towards tweens and their older classmates, Re-Craft.

Re-Craft is broken up into 4 main chapters based on the key material(s) used for each DIY project: old clothes, recyclables, all natural (twigs, acorns), and paper/cardboard. There are plenty of projects for girls to wear: soda can-yarn bracelets, shoulder bags made from an old pair of jeans, and “candy wrapper” rings. But there’s also plenty to decorate a t(w)een’s home and home away from home: CD photo holders for the locker, a desk organizer with used ribbons, and frames aplenty! But luckily not all projects are self-absorbed (sorry, did I say that?). A string of peanut butter slathered pinecones makes a beautiful bird feeder, while old t-shirts cut up into strands (T-yarn) are hand woven to create dog toys.

The pages abound with ideas on how to better improve one’s green practices, from composting to recycling old clothing scraps, and put forth interesting and scary enviro-facts. Did you know that scientists guess that it will take one CD a million years to break down? Yikes!

Vegans should be aware that I only detected 1 non-animal-friendly item used as a material in this book: feathers for the Native American-inspired dream catcher. Unfortunately, birds do suffer in the “harvesting” of such feathers.

A great find for an artsy fartsy kid.

Ages 9+.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

Spike Lee – yes, the famous filmmaker and the man with his own cable channel – is a children’s author! Giant Steps to Change the World isn’t his first work, but it sure is a heavy hitting one. Its message is solid, daunting, challenging, and yet inspiring: Life is going to be tough, but figure out what you’re going to contribute to the world and make it big and make it happen.

Lee’s wife, Tonya, also contributed her pen to the paper in this book and it shows. On each two-page spread featuring mixed media images by Sean Qualls a new unnamed hero or heroine is used to exemplify how difficult the hand you’re dealt may be, but that nothing is insurmountable. The pantheon of giants includes Langston Hughes, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Barack Obama, Albert Einstein, the Tuskegee Airmen, and others.

Here’s a little except that demonstrates the poetic nature of the book. See if you can guess who this giant might be:

Your heart will ache for your countryman
who is hungry. Go to him and feed him –
like the woman who dedicated her life to
feeding the hungry and healing the sick
and asked for nothing in return.

I think adults need this book as much as kids do. For many of us, it can test all your willpower and drive to become an entrepreneur or an innovator much less an advocate for animals who wears his/her heart on their sleeve.

Ages 4+.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

It’s about time for an honest, open, factual, and focused discussion with older children about how animals suffer in our society.

Rob Laidlaw, author of Wild Animals in Captivity and founder of Zoocheck Canada, recognized that and addresses his latest work, On Parade, on the subject of animals in entertainment. In reading this book, tweens and their older peers will come to acknowledge the pervasive exploitation of animals: from those eaten on reality TV shows like Fear Factor, to “novelty animals” used for tourist photos, to the “edutainment” shows held at zoo and wildlife parks where animals perform tricks as a means of generating laughter. But the buck doesn’t stop there. Rodeos, traveling shows, magic shows, swim-with-dolphin programs, horse and greyhound racing, and of course bloodsports are all well covered in On Parade.

What stands this book apart from an animal rights soapbox is that he’s included countless pieces of evidence to support the general statement that the entertainment industry does not meet the needs of wild animals in captivity: citings of animal welfare violations, mentions of undercover investigations, and testimony from whistleblowers. On Parade turns out to be an ideal resource for students writing a paper on the subject matter.

I will say that the statistics and incidences are depressing and can become mind-numbing. It’s hard to soak in the widespread abuse, neglect and outright cruelty these animals face. But it’s not something compassionate kids will want to ignore. They will want to be in the know. And it’s about time.

Ages 9+.

Review By CAROLYN M. MULLIN

In order to prove to the masses that animals are intelligent, scientists have spent countless hours – decades even (think: Jane Goodall) – observing their behavior or carrying out experiments. On a personal level, that irks me; it should be a given that animals (at the very least mammals since people generally find them easier to relate to) are critical thinkers and social, emotional, sentient beings. I take one look at my sleeping canine companion, Sophia, and easily see that she’s processing a dream sequence – her legs moving, small barks making their way outside of her reverie. I gather she’s chasing a worthy squirrel. What animal would do that if they weren’t cognizant, soulful even?

Tirade over. For the “I need to science to back it up” camp, Animal Aha! is a great choice in showing a wide range of animals, from cockroaches to pythons to gorillas, and the new discoveries made in light of their behavior. These findings, readers will discover, not only fascinate us, but will help demonstrate that there’s so much we don’t know about the natural world. So let us not judge too quickly and dismiss the intelligence of our animal brethren.

Elephants recognize themselves in mirrors. Dolphins can do math. Parrots can understand and say they’re sorry. Author Diane Swanson does a wonderful job compiling the most intriguing of studies and accompanying images for this very colorful, quick nonfiction read.

Ages 7-9.